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AMERICA 



DISCOVERED 



IN TITE 



TENTH CENTURY. 



Br CHARLES C. RAFN, 

SECRETARY TO THE ROYAL SOCIRTY OF NORTHERN ANTIQUARIES, 
COPENHAGEN. 



NEW YORK: 
WILLIAM JACKSON, 102 BROADWAY 



MDCCCXXXJIIL 




\^ 



Nj:W YORK : 
PRINTED BY WILLIAM JACKSON. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The ante-Columbian History of America has of 
late, more than formerly, been favoured with public atten- 
tion. Facts which shed an unexpected light on this 
remote period, formerly supposed to be wrapped in Cimme- 
rian darkness, have been gathered from various sources. 
We have been repeatedly surprised by many a hint, nay 
more, by many an incontestable sign, presented to us, and 
now at length we rely with increased confidence on those 
researches whose object is to brighten up and illustrate 
the obscure recesses of antiquit)^ 

The discovery of America in the tenth century may 
justly be considered as one of the very remarkable events 
in the history of the world ; and discerning posterity will 
not refuse to the hardy Scandinavians who effected it, that 
place in the world's annals, to which their achievements 
have given them an irrefragable title. Here, however, 
nothing is to be expected beyond a concise and summary 
view of the ancient historical events which occurred in 
America proper, and of such notices respecting the 
geography, hydrography, and natural history of that part 
of the world, as are preserved in the ancient records of 



iV IPrTRODUCTlON. 

Scandinavia, now published in the " Antiquitates Ame- 
RICAN.E." In the remote age now alluded to, Greenland 
had a considerable European population, forming a distinct 
diocese. But the great mass of records which relate to 
this polar region of America, could not be noticed. It is 
to be remembered, that the discovery of Iceland about the 
middle of the ninth century, the settlement there made by 
Ingolf, in the 3^ear 874, and the subsequent complete 
colonization of the country, which, in the course of a 
century, was effected by some of the most powerful and 
wealthy families of the North, were occurrences preceding 
the discovery of America. But then the seas about Ice- 
land having been navigated in all directions for a con- 
siderable time, Greenland could not remain undiscovered ; 
and, glancing at the vast number of original records 
extant, relative to the history of the Icelandic settlement, 
and observing the stir and bustle which at that time 
agitated this remote island, the discovery of America will 
appear almost as an inevitable consequence of the natural 
course of things, or at least as an event easily accounted 
for. 

The author of the following pages will with confidence 
abide the verdict of discerning readers, as to the question, 
whether the validity of the title be established by their 
contents. 



AN ABSTRACT 



HISTORICAL EVIDENCE 



CONTAINED IN THE 



ANTIQUITATES AMERICANS." 



BIARNE HERIULFSON'S VOYAGE IN THE 
YEAR 986. 

Eric the Red, in the spring of 986, emigrated from 
Iceland to Greenland, formed a settlement there, and fixed 
his residence at Brattalid in Ericsfiord. Among others 
who accompanied him was Heriulf Bardson, who esta- 
blished himself at Heriulfsnes. Biarne, the son of the 
latter, was at that time absent on a trading voyage to Nor- 
way ; but in the course of the summer returning to Eyrar, 
in Iceland, and finding that his father had taken his de- 
parture, this bold navigator resolved "still to spend the 
following winter, like all the preceding ones, with his 
father," although neither he nor any of his people had 
ever navigated the Greenland sea. They set sail, but met 
with northerly winds and fogs, and, after many days sail- 
ing, knew not whither they had been carried. At length, 
when the weather again cleared up, they saw a land which 
was without mountains, overgrown with wood, and^aving 
many gentle elevations. As this land did not correspond 
to the descriptions of Greenland, they left it on the larboard 
hand, and continued sailing two days, when they saw an- 
other land which was flat, and overgrown with wood. 
From thence they stood out to sea, and sailed three days 



6 DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 

with a S. W. wind, when they saw a third land, which was 
high and mountainous, and covered with icebergs (gla- 
ciers ;) they coasted along the shore, and saw that it was 
an island. They did not go on shore, as Biarne did not find 
the country to be inviting. Bearing away from this island, 
they stood out to sea with the same wind, and after four 
days sailing with fresh gales, they reached Heriulsfnes, in 
Greenland. 



DISCOVERIES OF LEIF ERICSON, AND FIRST 
SETTLEMENT OF VINELAND. 

Some time after this, probably in the year 994, Biarne 
paid a visit to Eric, earl of Norway, and told him of his 
voyage, and of the unknown lands he had discovered. He 
was blamed by many for not having examined these coun- 
tries more accurately. On his return to Greenland there 
was much talk about undertaking a voyage of discovery. 
Leif, a son of Eric the Red, bought Biarne's ship, and 
equipped it with a crew of thirty-five men, among whom was 
a German, of the name of Tyrker, who had long resided 
with his father, and who had been very fond of Leif in his 
childhood. In the year 1000 they commenced the projected 
voyage, and came first to the land which Biarne had seen 
last. They cast anchor and went on shore. No grass was 
seen ; but every where in this country were vast ice- 
mountains (glaciers,) and the intermediate space between 
these and the shore was, as it were, one uniform plain of 
slate (hella :) the country appearing to them destitute of 
good qualities, they called it HELLU-LAND. They put 
out to sea, and came to another land where they also went 
on shore. The country was level (sUtt,) and covered with 
woods, and wheresoever they went, there were cliffs of 
white sand (sand-ar hvitir,) and a low coast (o-sce-bratt ;) 
they called the country MARK-LAND ( Woodland.) From 



IN THE TENTH CENTURY. 7 

thence they again stood out to sea, with a N.E. wind, and 
continued sailing for two days, before they made land 
again. They then came to an island which lay to the 
eastward of the mainland, and entered a channel between 
this island and a promontory projecting in an easterly (and 
northerly) direction from the mainland. They sailed west- 
ward in waters where there was much ground left dry at 
ebb-tide. Afterwards they went on shore at a place where 
a river, issuing from a lake, fell into the sea. They brought 
their ship into the river, and from thence into the lake, 
where they cast anchor. Here they constructed some 
temporary log-huts ; but, afterwards, when they had made 
up their mind to winter there, they built large houses, 
afterwards called LEIFS-BUDIR (Leifsbooths.) When 
the buildings were completed, Leif divided his people into 
two companies, who were by turns employed in keeping 
watch at the houses, and in making small excursions for 
the purpose of exploring the country in the vicinity : his 
instructions to them were, that they should not go to a 
greater distance than that they might return in the course 
of the same evening, and that they should not separate 
from one another. Leif took his turn also, joining the ex- 
ploring party the one day, and remaining at the houses the 
other. It so happened that one day the German, Tyrker, 
was missing. Leif accordingly went out with twelve men 
in search of him, but they had not gone far from their 
houses, when they met him coming towards them. When 
Leif enquired why he had been so long absent, he at first 
answered in German, but they did not understand what he 
said. He then said to them in the Norse tongue : " I did 
not go much farther, yet I have a discovery to acquaint 
you with ; I have found vines and grapes." He added, 
by way of confirmation, that he had been born in a country 
where there was plenty of vines. They had now two 
occupations, viz., to hew timber for loading the ship, and 
collect grapes ; with these last they filled the ship's long 



8 DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 

boat. Leif gave a name to the country, and called it VIN- 
LAND (Vineland.) In the spring they sailed again from 
thence, and returned to Greenland. 



THORWALD ERICSON'S EXPEDITION TO 
MORE SOUTHERN REGIONS. 

Leif's Vineland voyage was now a subject of frequent 
conversation in Greenland, and his brother Thorwald 
was of opinion that the country had not been sufficiently 
explored. He accordingly borrowed Leif's ship, and, aided 
by his brother's counsel and directions, commenced a 
voyage in the year 1002. He arrived at Leifsbooths, in 
Vineland, where they spent the winter, he and his crew 
employing themselves in fishing. In the spring of 1003 
Thorwald sent a party in the ship's long-boat on a voyage 
of discovery southwards. They found the country beautiful 
and well wooded, with but little space between the woods 
aad the sea ; there were likewise extensive ranges of 
white sand, and many islands and shallows. They found 
no traces of men having been there before them, excepting 
on an island lying to the westward, where they found a 
wooden shed. They did not return to Leifsbooths until 
the fall. In the following summer, 1004, Thorwald sailed 
eastward with the large ship, and then northward past a 
remarkable headland enclosing a bay, and which was 
opposite to another headland. They called it KIAL- 
AR-NES (Keel Cape.) From thence they sailed along 
the eastern coast of the land, into the nearest firths, to a 
promontory which there projected, and which was every 
where overgrown with wood. There Thorwald went 
ashore with all his companions. He was so pleased with 
this place, that he exclaimed : " This is beautiful ! and 
here I should like well to fix my dwelling !" Afterwards, 



IN THE TENTH CENTURY. 9 

when they were preparing to go on board, they observed 
on the sandy beach, within the promontor)^, three hillocks, 
and repairing thither, they found three canoes, under each 
of which were three Skrellings (Esquimaux;) they came 
to blows with the latter, and killed eight, but the ninth 
escaped with his canoe. Afterwards a countless number 
issued forth against them from the interior of the bay. 
They endeavoured to protect themselves by raising battle 
screens on the ship's side. The Skrellings continued 
shooting at them for a while, and then retired. Thorwald 
was wounded by an arrow under the arm, and finding that 
the wound was mortal, he said, " I now advise you to pre- 
pare for your departure as soon as possible, but me ye shall 
bring to the promontory, where I thought il good to dwell ; 
it may be that it was a prophetic word that fell from my 
mouth about my abiding there for a season ; there shall 
ye bury me, and plant a cross at my head, and another at 
my feet, and call the place KROSS-A-NES (Crossness) 
in all time coming." He died, and they did as he had 
ordered. Afterwards, they returned to their companions 
at Leifsbooths, and spent the winter there ; but, in the 
spring of 1005, they sailed again to Greenland, having 
important intelligence to communicate to Leif. 



UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT OF THORSTEIN 
ERICSON. 

Thorstein, Eric's third son, had resolved to proceed to 
Vineland to fetch his brother's body. He fitted out the 
same ship, and selected twenty-five strong and able-bodied 
men for his crew : his wife Gudrida also went along with 
him. They were tossed about the ocean during the whole 
summer, and knew not whither they were driven ; but at 
*he close of the first we«*k of winter they landed at Ly- 



to DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 

sutiord, in the western settlement of Greenland. There 
Thorstein died during the winter ; and, in the spring, 
Gudrida returned again to Ericsfiord. 



SETTLEMENT EFFECTED IN VINELAND, 
BY THORFINN. 

In the following summer, 1006, there arrived in Green- 
land two ships from Iceland ,- the one was commanded by 
Thorfinn, having the very significant surname of Karls- 
EFNE (i. e. one who promises or is destined to be an able 
or great man,) a wealthy and powerful man, of illustrious 
lineage, and sprung from Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, 
Irish, and Scotti-sh ancestors, some of whom were kings or 
of royal descent. He was accompanied by Snorre Thor- 
BRANDSON, who was also a man of distinguished lineage. 
The other ship was commanded by Biarne Groiolfson, 
of BVsidefiord, and Thorhall Gamlason, of Austfiord. 
They kept the festival of Yule, or Christmas, at Brattalid. 
Thorfin became enamoured of Gudrida, and obtained the 
consent of her brother-in-law, Leif ; and their marriage 
was celebrated in the course of the winter. On this, as 
on former occasions, the voyage to Vineland formed a 
favorite theme of conversation, and Thorfin was urged 
both by his wife and others to undertake such a voyage. 
It was accordingly resolved on. In the spring of 1007 
Karlsefne and Snorre fitted out their ship, and Biarne and 
Thorhall likewise equipped theirs. A third ship (being 
that in which Gudrida's father, Thorbiorn, had formerly 
come to Greenland) was commanded by Thorward, who 
was married to Freydisa, a natural daughter of Eric the 
Red ; and on board the ship was also a man of the name 
of Thorhall, who had long served Eric as huntsman in 
summer, and as house-steward in winter, and who had 



IN THE TENTH CENTURY. If 

Yniicli acquaintance with the uncolonized parts of Green- 
land. The whole expedition consisted of one hundred 
and sixty men ; and they took with them all kinds of live 
stock, it being their intention to establish a colony, if 
possible. They sailed first to the Westerbygd, and after- 
wards to Biarney (Disco.) From thence they sailed in a 
southerly direction to HELLU-LAND, where they found 
ma^ foxes ; and again two days in a southerly direction to 
MARK-LANDj a country overgrown with wood, and plen- 
tifully stocked with animals. Leaving this, they continued 
in a S. W. direction for a long time, having the land to star- 
board, until they at length came to KIAL-AR-NES, where 
there were trackless deserts and long beaches and sands, 
called by them FURDU-STRAND-IR. Passing these, 
they found the land indented by inlets. They had two 
Scots with them, Hake and Hekia, whom Leif had former- 
ly received from the Norwegian king, Olaf Tryggvason, 
and who were very swif^of foot. They put them on shore, 
recommending them to proceed in a S.W. direction, and 
explore the country. After the lapse of three days they 
returned, bringing with them some grapes and some ears 
of wheat, which grew wild in that region. They con- 
tinued their course until they came to a place where a 
firth penetrated far into the country. Off the mouth of it 
was an island, past which there ran strong currents, which 
was also the case farther up the firth. On the island there 
were an immense number of eyderducks, so that it was 
scarcely possible to walk without treading on their eggs. 
They called the island STRAUM-EY (Stream Isle,) and 
the firth, SRAUM-FI ;RDR (Stream Firth.) They landed 
on the shore of this firth, and made preparations for their 
winter residence. The country was extremely beau- 
tiful. They confined their operations to exploring the 
country. Thorhall afterwards wished to proceed in a 
N. direction in quest of Vineland. Karlsefne chose rather 
to go to the S.W. Thorhall, and eight men with him, 



12 



DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 



quitted them, and sailed past Furbustrander and Kialarnes ; 
but they were driven by westerly gales to the coast of 
Ireland, where, according- to the accounts of some traders, 
they were beaten and made slaves. Karlsefne, together 
with Snorre and Biarne, and the rest of the ships' com- 
panies, in all 131 (CXXXI) men, sailed southwards, 
and arrived at the place where a river falls into the sea 
from a lake. Opposite to the mouth of the river were 
large islands. They steered into the lake, and called the 
place HOP (/ Hope.) On the low grounds they found 
fields of wheat growing wild, and on the rising ground, 
vines. While looking about one morning, they observed a 
great number of canoes. As they exhibited friendly sig- 
nals, the canoes approached nearer to them, and the natives 
looked with astonishment at those they met there. These 
people were sallow, and ill-looking : had ugly heads of 
hair, large eyes, and broad cheeks. After they had gazed 
at them for awhile, they rowed away again to the S.W. 
past the cape. Karlsefne and his company had erected 
their dwelling houses a little above the bay, and there they 
spent the winter. No snow fell, and the cattle found their 
food in the open field. One morning early, in the beginning 
of 1008, they descried a number of canoes coming from the 
S. W. past the cape. Karlsefne having held up a white 
shield as a friendly signal, they drew nigh, and immediately 
commenced bartering. These people chose in preference 
red cloth, and gave furs and squirrel skins in exchange. 
They would fain also have bought swords and spears, but 
these Karlsefne and Snorre prohibited their people from 
selling. In exchange for a skin, entirely gray, the Skrel- 
lings took a piece of cloth of a span in breadth, and bound 
it round their heads. Their barter was carried on in this 
way for some time. The Northmen found that their cloth 
was beginning to grow scarce, whereupon they cut it up in 
smaller pieces, not broader than a finger's breadth ; yet the 
Skrellings gave as much for these smaller pieces as they had 



IN THE TENTH CENTURY. 13 

formerly given for the larger ones, or even more. Karlsefne 
also caused the women to make and pour out milk soup, 
and the Skrellings relishing the taste of it, they desired to 
buy it in preference to every thing else ; so they wound up 
their traffic by carrying away their bargains in their 
stomachs. Whilst this trade was going on, it happened 
that a bull, which Karlsefne had brought along with him, 
came out of the wood and bellowed loudly. At this the 
Skrellings became terrified, rushed to their canoes, and 
rowed away southwards. About this time Gudrida, Karls- 
efne's wife, gave birth to a son, who received the name of 
Snorre. In the beginning of the following winter the 
Skrellings came again in much greater numbers ; they 
showed symptoms of hostility, setting up loud yells. 
Karlsefne caused the red shield to be borne against them, 
whereupon they advanced against each other, and a battle 
commenced. There was a galling discharge of missiles. 
The Skrellings had a sort of war slings ; they elevated 
on a pole a tremendously large ball, almost the size of a 
sheep's stomach, and of a bluish colour ; this they swung 
from the pole upon land over Karlsefne's people, and it 
descended with a fearful crash. This struck terror into 
the Northmen, and they fled along the river. Freydisa 
came out, and seeing them flying, she exclaimed : " How 
can stovit men like you fly from these miserable caitiffs, 
whom I thought you could knock down like cattle ! If I 
had only a weapon, I ween I could fight better than any 
of you !" They heeded not her words. She tried to keep 
pace with them, but the advanced state of her pregnancy 
retarded her : she however followed them into the wood. 
There she encountered a dead body : it was Thorbrand 
Snorrason ; a flat stone was sticking fast in his head, 
and his naked sword lay b}- his side ; this she took up, 
and prepared to defend herself. She uncovered her bosom, 
and struck it with the naked sword. At this sight the 
Skrellings became terrified, and ran off to their canoes. 



14 



DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 



Karlsefne and the rest now came up to her, and praised 
her courage. They were now become aware that, al- 
though the country held out many advantages, still the 
life that they would have to lead here, would be one of 
constant alarm from the hostile attacks of the natives. 
They therefore made preparations for departure, with the 
resolution of returning to their own country. Sailing 
eastward, they arrived in Streamfirth. Karlsefne then 
took one of the ships, and sailed in quest of Thorhall, 
while the rest remained behind. They proceeded north- 
wards round Kialarnes, and, after that, were carried to the 
north-west. The land lay to the larboard of them ; there 
were thick forests in all directions, as far as they could 
see, with scarcely any open space. They considered the 
hills at Hope, and those which they now saw, as forming 
part of one continued range. They spent the third winter 
at Streamfirth. Karlsefne's son, Snorre, was now three 
years of age. When they sailed from Vineland, they had 
southerly wind, and came to Markland, where they met 
with five Skrellings. They caught two of them (two boys,) 
whom they carried away with them, and taught them the 
Norse language, and baptized them. These children said 
that their mother was called Vethilldi, and their father 
Uv^GE ; they said that the Skrellings were ruled by chief- 
tains (kings,) one of whom was called Avalldamon, and 
the other Valdidida ; that there were no houses in the 
country, but that the people dwelt in holes and caverns. 
Biarne Grimolfson was driven into the Irish Ocean, and 
came into waters that were so infested with worms that 
their ship was in consequence reduced to a sinking state. 
Some of the crew, however, were saved in the boat, as it 
had been smeared with seal-oil tar, which is a preventive 
against the attack of worms. Karlsefne continued his 
voyage to Greenland, and arrived at Ericsfiord. 



IN THE TENTH CENTURY. 15 



VOYAGE OF FREYDISA, HELGE AND FINN- 
BOGE ; THORFINN SETTLES IN ICELAND. 

During the same summer, 1011, there arrived in Green- 
land a ship from Norway, commanded by two brothers, from 
Austfiord in Iceland, Helge and Finnboge, who passed 
the following winter in Greenland. Freydisa went to 
them, and proposed a voyage to Vineland, on the condition 
that they should share equally ^v'th her in all the profits 
which the voyage might yield : to this tkey assented. 
Freydisa and these brothers entered into a mutual agree- 
ment that each party should have thirty able-bodied men 
on board their ship, besides women ; but Freydisa im- 
mediately deviated from the agreement, and took with her 
five additional men, whom she concealed. In 1012 they 
arrived at Leifsbooths, where they spent the following 
winter. The conduct of Freydisa occasioned a coolness 
and distance between the parties ; and by her subtle arts 
she ultimately prevailed on her husband to massacre the 
brothers and their followers. After the perpetration of this 
base deed, they, in the spring of 1013, returned to Green- 
land, where Thorfinn lay ready to sail for Norway, and 
was waiting for a fair wind : the ship he commanded was 
so richly laden, that it was generally admitted, that a more 
valuable cargo had never left Greenland. As soon as the 
wind became favourable he sailed to Norway, where he 
spent the following winter, and sold his goods. Next year, 
when he was ready to sail for Iceland, there came a 
German from Bremen, who wanted to buy a piece of wood 
from him : he gave for it half a marc of gold : it was the 
wood of the Mazer tree, from Vineland. Karlsefne went 
to Iceland, and, in the following year, 1015, he bought the 
Glaumbcs estate, in Skagefiord, in the northland quarter, 



16 DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 

where he resided during the remainder of his life : his 
son SnorrCj who had been born in America, was his suc- 
cessor on this estate. When tlie latter married, his mother 
made a pilgrimage to Rome, and afterwards returned to 
her son's house at Glaumboe, where he had in the mean 
time ordered a church to be built. The mother lived long 
as a religious recluse. A numerous and illustrious race 
descended from Karlsefne, among whom may be mentioned 
the learned bishop Thorlak Runolfson, born in 1085, of 
Snorre's daughter, Halfrida, to whom we are principally 
indebted for the oldest ecclesiastical Code of Iceland, 
published in the year 1123; it is also probable that the 
accounts of the voyages here mentioned, were originally 
compiled by him. 



A SURVEY OF THE PRECEDING EVIDENCE. 

I.— GEOGRAPHY AND HYDROGRAPHY. 

It is a fortunate circumstance that these ancient 
accounts have preserved not only geographical, but also 
nautical, and astronomical facts, that may serve in fixing 
the position of the lands and places named. The nautical 
facts are of special importance, although hitherto they 
have not been sufficiently attended to ; these consist in 
statements of the course steered and the distance sailed in 
a day. From data in the Landnama and several other 
ancient Icelandic geographical works, Ave may gather, that 
the distance of a day's sailing was estimated at 27 to 30 
geographical miles (German or Danish, of which fifteen 
are equal to a degree : each of these being, accordingly, 
equal to four English sea-miles.) From the island of 
HELLU-LAND, afterwards called little Helluland, Biarne 
sailed to Heriulfsnes (Iki-geit^) in Greenland, with strong 



IN THE TENTH CENTURY. 17 

south-westerly gales, in four days. The distance between 
that cape and JS^ewfoundland is about one hundred and 
fifty miles, which will correspond, when we take into con- 
sideration the strong gales. In modern descriptions it is 
stated that this land partly consists of naked rocky flats, 
where no tree, nor even a shrub, can grow, and which are 
therefore usually called Barrens ; thus answering com- 
pletely to the hell-ur of the ancient Northmen, from which 
they named the country. 

MARKLAND was situate to the south-west of Hellu- 
land, distant about three days' sail, or from eighty to 
ninety miles. Here then we have JS^ova Scotia, of which 
the descriptions given by later writers answer to that 
given by the ancient Northmen of Markland : " the land 
is low in general ;" " the coast to the sea-ward being level 
and low, and the shores marked with white rocks ;" " the 
land is low, with white sandy cliffs, particularly visible at 
sea," says the new ' North American Pilot,' by J. W. 
Norie, and another American sailor : " on the shore are 
some cliffs of exceedingly white sand." Here ^ leveP 
corresponds completely to the Icelandic ^sUtt,^ 'low to the 
sea-ward ' to the short expression * d-sce-brattj' and * ivhite 
sandy cliffs^ to the 'hvit-ir sand-ar^ of the Northmen. 
Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Lower Canada, situate 
more in-land, which probably may be considered as all 
belonging to the Markland of the Northmen, are almost 
everywhere covered w^th immense forests. 

VINLAND was situate at the distance of two days' sail, 
consequently from fifty-four to sixty miles, in a south- 
westerly direction from Markland. The distance from 
Cape Sable to Cape Cod is stated in nautical works as 
being W. by S. about seventy leagues, that is, about two 
hundred miles. Biarne's description of the coast is very 
accurate, and in the island situate to the eastward, (be- 
tween which and the promontory that stretches to east- 
ward and northward Leif sailed) we recognize Nantucket, 
c 



18 DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 

The ancient Northmen found there many shallows (grunn- 
scpfui mik-it ;) modern navigators make mention at the 
same place " of nmnerous reefs and other shoals," and say 
" that the whole presents an aspect of drowned land." 

KIALARNES (from kidlr, a keel, and nes, a cape, most 
likely so named on account of its striking resemblance to 
the keel of a ship, particularly of one of the long ships of 
the ancient Northmen) must consequently be Cape Cod, 
the Nauset of the Indians, which modern geographers 
have sometimes likened to a Horn, and sometimes to a 
Sickle, or Scythe. The ancient Northmen found here 
trackless deserts, (or-ce/i) and long narrow beaches and 
sand-hills, or sands {strand-ir Idng-ar ok sand-ar) of a very 
peculiar appearance, on which account they called them 
FURDU-STRAND-IR {Wonder-strands, from furh-a, res 
miranda, and strond, strand, beach.) Compare the descrip- 
tion given of this Cape by a modern author, Hitchcock : 
" The Dunes, or sand-hills, which are often nearly or quite 
barren of vegetation, and of snowy whiteness, forcibly 
attract the attention on account of their peculiarity. As we 
approach the extremity of the Cape, the sand and barren- 
ness increase ; and in not a few places it would need only 
a party of Bedouin Arabs to cross the traveller's path, to 
make him feel that he was in the depths of an Jlrahian or 
Lybian desert." A remarkable natural phenomenon, 
which is observed there, has also most probably had a 
share in giving rise to that peculiar name. It is thus 
described by the same author : " In crossing the sands of 
the Cape, I noticed a singular mirage or deception. In 
Orleans, for instance, we seemed to be ascending at an 
angle of three or four degrees ; nor was I convinced that 
such was not the case, until turning about I perceived 
that a similar ascent appeared in the road just passed over. 
I shall not attempt to explain this optical deception ; but 
merely remark, that it is probably of the same kind as that 
observed by Humboldt on the Pampas of Venezuela ; "all 



IN THE TENTH CENTURY. 19 

around us, says he, the plains seemed to ascend towards 
the sky." Thus we observe that the appellation given by 
the ancient Northmen to the three strands, or tracts of 
coast, JSTauset Beach, Chatham Beach, and Monomoy Beach, 
is remarkably appropriate. 

The great Gulf Stream, as it is called, which issues from 
the Gulf of Mexico, and runs between Florida, Cuba, 
and the Bahama Isles, and so northwards in a direction 
parallel to the eastern coast of North America, and of 
which the channel, in ancient times, is said to have 
approached still nearer to the coast, occasions great cur- 
rents precisely at this place, inasmuch as the peninsula of 
Barnstaple offers opposition to the stream, as it comes 
from the southward. The STRAUM-FIORDR of the 
ancient Northmen is supposed to be BuzzarcVs Bay; and 
STRAUM-EY, Martha's Vineyard ; although the accounts 
of the many eggs found there would seem more precisely 
to correspond to the island which lies off the entrance of 
Vineyard Sound, and which, to this day, is called Egg 
Island. 

KROSS-A-NES, is probably Gurnet Point. It must have 
been somewhat to the northward of this, that Karlsefne 
landed, when he saw the mountain range, (^The Blue 
Hills,) which he considered as forming part of the same 
range, that extends to the region, where we recognize the 
place named Hop {i Hop-e.) 

The word HOP, in Icelandic, may either denote a small 
recess, or bay, formed by a river from the interior, falling 
into an inlet from the sea, or the land bordering on such a 
bay. To this Mount Hope's Bay, or Mont Haup's Bay, 
as the Indians term it, corresponds, through which the 
Taunton River flows, and, by means of the very narrow, 
yet navigable, Pocasset River, meets the approaching 
water of the Ocean at its exit at Seaconnet. It was at 
this Hope that Leifsbooths were situate ; it was above it, 
and therefore most probably on the beautiful elevation 



20 DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 

called afterwards by the Indians, Mont Haup, that Thor- 
finn Karlsefne erected his dwelling-houses. 



II.— CLIMATE AND SOIL. 

Concerning the climate of the country, and the quality 
of the soil, and also concerning some of its productions, the 
ancient wTitings contain sundry illustrative remarks. The 
climate was so mild, that it appeared the cattle did not 
require winter fodder ; for there came no snow, and the 
grass was but slightly withered. Warden uses similar ex- 
pressions respecting this region : " La temperature est si 
douce que la vegetation souffre rarement dii froid ou de la 
secheresse. On P appelle le paradis de VJlmerique parce 
qu'elle Pemporte sur les autres lieux par sa situation, son 
sol et son climat.." " An excursion from Taunton to 
Newport, Rhode Island, down Taunton River and Mount 
Hope Bay, conducts the traveller among scenery of great 
beauty and loveliness," says Hitchcock ; and when he 
adds, *' that the beautiful appearance of the country, and 
the interesting historical associations connected with that 
region, conspire to keep the attention alive, and to gratify 
the taste," he will find that this last remark is applicable 
to times much more remote than he thought of, when he 
gave expression to the above sentiment. 

A country of such a nature might well deserve the 
appellation of " the good," which was the epithet the 
ancient Northmen bestowed on it ; especially as it yielded 
productions whereon they set a high value, and of which 
their colder native land was for the most part destitute 



III.— PRODUCE AND NATURAL HISTORY. 
Vines grew there spontaneously ; a circumstance which 
Adam of Bremen — a foreign writer of the same (that is of 
the eleventh) century — mentions that he had learned. 



IN THE TENTH CENTURY. 21 

not from conjecture, but from authentic accounts furnished 
by Danes. As his authority on this occasion, he cites the 
Danish king, Sveyn Estrithson, a nephew of Canute the 
Great. It is well know that vines still grow in that region 
in great abundance. 

Spontaneously growing wheat (sjdlf-sdn-ir hveiti-akrar.) 

At the subsequent arrival of the Europeans, Maize, or 
Indian corn, as it is called, was found growing here ; this 
the natives reaped without having sowed, and they pre- 
served it in holes in the earth, as it constituted one of their 
most valuable articles of food. Honeydew was found on 
the island which lies off it, as is also still the case. 

Mazer {mausur,) a species of wood of remarkable beauty, 
probably a species of the Acer rubrum, or Acer saccha- 
rinum, which grows here, and which is called " bird's 
eye," or "curled maple." Wood for building was also 
obtained here. 

A great number of forest animals of all kinds. It is under- 
stood that the Indians chose this region in preference, for 
their abode, chiefly on account of the excellent hunting. 

At present the forests are for the most part cut down, 
and the animals have withdrawn to the interior and wood- 
land regions. From the natives the Northmen bought 
squirrel skins, and all kinds of peltries, which are still to 
be found in abundance in this district. 

Eyderducks and other birds were found in great numbers 
on the adjacent islands, as is also at present the case, 
on which account some of them have the name of Egg 
Islands. 

Every river was full offish, among which are mentioned 
excellent salmon. On the coast w^as also caught a great 
quantity of fish. The Northmen dug ditches along the 
shore, within the high water-mark, and when the tide 
receded, they found halibuts in the ditches. On the coast 
they also caught whales, and among these the reihr (Ba- 
laena physalus.) In the modern descriptions of this region 



22 DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 

it is stated, that " all the rivers are full of fish ;" and 
of the waters in that neighbourhood it is said, " il y a une 
grande abondance de poissons de presque toutes les es- 
peces." Salmon may be mentioned as one of these. Not 
long ago, the v^hale fishery was, in that very region, an 
important branch of industry ; especially for the inhabi- 
tants of the adjacent islands. Very possibly the adjacent 
Whale Rock has its name from the same circumstances. 



IV.— ASTRONOMICAL EVIDENCE. 
Besides the nautical and geographical statements, one 
of the most ancient writings has preserved an astronomical 
notice, where it was said, that here the days Avere of more 
equal length than in Iceland or Greenland ; that, on the 
shortest da}^, the sun rose at half past seven o'clock, and 
set at half past four ; which makes the shortest day nine 
hours. This astronomical observation gives for the place, 
latitude 41° 24' 10'^. The latitude of Seaconnet Point, and 
of the southernmost promontory of the Island of Conanni- 
cut, is 41° 26' north; and that of Point Judith, 41° 23^ 
These three headlands form the entrance boundaries of 
the modern Mount Hope Bay, which the ancients, accord- 
ing to the analogy of their language, no doubt, called 
HoPSVATN. We thus see that this statement corresponds 
exactly with the other data, and indicates precisely the 
same region. 



IN THE TENTH CENTURY. 23 



DISCOVERIES OF MORE SOUTHERN 
REGIONS. 

The party sent by Thorwald Ericson in the year 1003, 
from Leifsbooths, to explore the southern coasts, employed 
from four to five months in the expedition ; they therefore 
most likely examined the coasts of Connecticut and New 
York, — probably also those of New Jersey, Delaware, and 
Maryland. The description of this range of coast is 
accurate. 



ARE MARSON'S SOJOURN IN GREAT 
IRELAND. 

In those times the Esquimaux inhabited more southerly 
regions than they do at present. This is both evident 
from the ancient accovmts, and seems besides to gain cor- 
roboration from ancient skeletons which have been dug up 
in regions even more southerly than those in question ; 
a circumstance which, however, merits a more accurate 
examination. In the neighbourhood of Vineland, opposite 
the country inhabited by the Esquimaux, there dwelled, 
according to their reports, people who wore white dresses, 
and had poles borne before them, on which were fastened 
lappets, and who shouted with a loud voice. This covm- 
try was supposed to be HVITRA-MANN-A-LAND, as it 
was called (the Land of the White Men,) otherwise called 
IR-LAND IT MIKLA {Great Ireland,) being probably 
that part of the coast of North America which extends 
southwards from Chesapeak Bay, including North and 
South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. Among the Sha- 



24 DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 

wanese Indians, who some years ago emigrated from 
Florida, and are now settled in Ohio, there is preserved a 
tradition which seems of importance here ; viz. that Flo- 
rida was once inhabited by white people, who were in 
possession of iron implements. Judging from the ancient 
accounts, this must have been an Irish christian people, 
who, previous to the year 1000, were settled in this 
region. The powerful chieftain. Are Marson, of Rey- 
kianes, in Iceland, was, in the year 903, driven thither by 
storms, and there received baptism. The first author of 
this account was his contemporary, Rafa, surnamed the 
Limerick-trader, he having long resided at Limerick, in 
Ireland. The illustrious Icelandic sage, Are Frode, the 
first compiler of the Landnama, who was himself a de- 
scendant in the fourth degree from Are Marson, states on 
this subject, that his uncle, Thorkell Gellerson (whose 
testimony he on another occasion declares to be worthy of 
all credit) had been informed by Icelanders, who had 
their information from Thorfinn Sigurdson, Earl of Ork- 
ney, that Are had been recognized in Hvitramannaland, 
and could not get away from thence, but was there held 
in high respect. This statement therefore shows, that in 
those times there was an occasional intercourse between 
the western European countries (the Orkneys and Ire- 
land,) and this part of America. 



VOYAGES OF BIORN ASBRANDSON, AND 
GUDLEIF GUDLAUGSON. 

It must have been in this same country that Biorn 
As-BRANDSON, sumamcd Breid-vik-inga-kappi, spent the 
latter part of his life. He had been adopted into the cele- 
brated band of Jomsburg warriors, under Falnatoke, and 



IN THE TENTH CENTURy. 25 

took part with them in the battle of Fyrisval, in Sweden. 
His illicit amatory connexion with Thurida of Frodo, in 
Iceland, a sister of the powerful Snorre Gode, drew upon 
him the enmity and persecution of the latter; in conse- 
quence of which, he found himself obliged to quit the 
country for ever, and, in the year 999, he set sail from 
Hraunhofn, in Sniofelsnes, with a N. E. wind. Gudleif 
GuDLAUGSoN, brother of Thorfinn, the ancestor of the 
celebrated historian, Snorre Sturluson, had made a trad- 
ing voyage to Dublin ; but when he left that place again, 
with the intention of sailing round Ireland, and returning 
to Iceland, he met with long continued north-easterly 
winds, which drove him far out of his course to the south- 
west, and late in the season he, along with his company, 
at last made land ; the country was very extensive, but 
they knew not what country it was. On their landing, a 
crowd of the natives, amounting to several hundreds in 
number, came against them, overpowered, and bound 
them. They did not know any body in the crowd, but it 
seemed to them that their language resembled Irish. 
The natives now took counsel whether they should 
kill the strangers, or make slaves of them. While they 
were deliberating, a large company approached, dis- 
playing a banner, close to which rode a man of distin- 
guished appearance, who was far advanced in years, and 
had gray hair. The matter under deliberation was 
referred to his decision. He was the aforesaid Biorn As- 
brandson. He caused Gudleif to be brought before him, 
and, addressing him in the Norse language, he asked him 
whence he came. As he replied that he was an Ice- 
lander, Biorn made many enquiries about his acquaintance 
in Iceland, particularly about his beloved Thurida, of 
Frodo, and about her son Kiartan, supposed to be his own 
son, and who at that time was the proprietor of the estate 
of Frodo. In the meantime, the natives becoming im- 
patient, and demanding a decision, Biorn selected twelve 



26 DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 

of his company as counsellors ; he took them aside, and 
some time after, he went towards Gudleif and his com- 
panions, and told them that the natives had left the 
matter to his decision. He thereupon gave them their 
liberty, and advised them, although the summer was 
already far advanced, to depart immediately, because the 
natives were not to be depended on, and were difficult to 
deal with ; and, moreover, conceived that an infringement 
on their laws had been committed to their disadvantage. 
He gave them a gold ring for Thurida, and a sword for 
Kiartan, and told them to charge kis friends and relations 
not to come over to him, as he was now become old, and 
might daily expect that old age would get the better of 
him ; that the country was large, having but few har- 
bours, and that strangers must everywhere expect a hostile 
reception. They accordingly set sail again, and found 
their way back to Dublin, where they spent the winter ; 
but next summer they repaired to Iceland and delivered 
the presents ; and all were convinced that it was really 
Biorn Asbrandson whom they had met with in that 
country. 



BISHOP ERIC'S VOYAGE TO VINELAND. 

It may be considered as certain that the intercourse be- 
tween Vineland and Greenland was maintained for a con- 
siderable period after this, although the scanty notices 
about Greenland contained in the ancient manuscripts 
do not furnish us with any satisfactory information on this 
head. It is however recorded, that the Greenland bishop, 
Eric, impelled probably by a christian zeal either of con- 
verting the colonists, or of animating them to perseverance 
in the faith, went over to Vineland in the the year 1121. 
As we have no inforjnation of the result of his voyage, but 



IN THE TENTH CENTURY. 



27 



can merely gather from the above expression that he 
reached his destination, we must presume that he fixed his 
permanent residence in Vineland. His voyage, however, 
goes to corroborate the supposition of a lengthened inter- 
course having been kept up between the countries. 



DISCOVERIES IN THE ARCTIC REGIONS 
OF AMERICA. 

The next event in chronological order, of which ac- 
counts have been preserved in ancient records, is a voyage 
of discovery in the Arctic regions of America, performed 
during the year 1266, under the auspices of some clergy- 
men of the bishopric of Garbar, in Greenland. The 
account of it is taken from a letter, addressed by a clergy- 
man of the name of Halldor, to another clergyman, named 
Arnold, formerly established in Greenland, but who had 
then become chaplain to the Norwegian king, Magnus 
Lagabaster, At that time all men of any consequence in 
Greenland possessed large vessels, built for the purpose 
of being dispatched northwards, in hunting and fishing 
expeditions. The northern regions which they visited 
were called Norbr-set-ur ; the chief stations were Greipar 
and Kroks-fiarb-ar-heibi. The first of these stations is 
supposed to have been situate immediately to the south- 
ward of Disco ; but that the ancient Northmen went much 
farther north on this coast may be inferred from a very 
remarkable runic stone, found in the year 1824, on the 
island of Kin-gik-tor-soak, lying in the latitude of 72o 
55^ N. The latter-mentioned station was to the north 
of the former. The object of the voyage is stated to have 
been, to explore regions lying more to the northward than 
those they had hitherto been accustomed to visit, con- 



28 DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 

sequently lying farther north than KROKS-FIARD-AR- 

HEIDI, where they had their summer quarters (set-ur,) 
and which they were therefore regularly accustomed to 
visit. The following particulars are mentioned relating 
to this voyage of discovery. They sailed out of Kroks- 
fiarb-ar-heibi ; and, after that, encountered southerly 
winds, accompanied by thick weather, which obliged them 
to let the ship go before the wind. On the weather clear- 
ing up, they saw many islands, and all kinds of prey, both 
seals and whales, and a great many bears. They pene- 
trated into the innermost part of the gulf, and had ice- 
bergs (glaciers) lying also to the southward as far as the 
eye could reach. They observed some vesitges indicating 
that the Skrellings had in former times inhabited these 
regions, but they could not land on account of the bears. 
They then put about and sailed back during three days ; 
and, now again, they found traces of the Skrellings having 
been on some islands lying to the southward of a moun- 
tain, by them called Sniofell. After this (on St. James's 
day) they proceeded southwards, a great day's rowing. 
It froze during the night in those regions, but the sun was 
above the horizon both night and day ; and when on the 
meridian, in the south, he was not higher than that when 
a man lay down across a six-oared boat, stretched out to- 
wards the gunwale, the shadow formed by the side of the 
boat nearest the sun reached his face : but at midnight 
the sun was as high as when it was (highest) in the north- 
west, in the Greenland colony. Afterwards they sailed 
back again to their home at Garfcar. Kroks-fiarb-ar-heibi, 
as we have observed above, had been for some time previous 
regularly visited by the Greenlanders. The name shows 
that the firth was surrounded by barren highlands (heih-i;) 
and the description of the voyage shows that it was a 
firth of considerable extent, in and through which there 
was room for several days' sail. It is stated, for instance, 
jthat they sailed out of this firth or sound into another sea, 



IN THE TENTH CENTURY. 29 

and into the innermost part of a gulf, and that their re- 
turning voyage occupied several days. As to the two 
observations mentioned as having been taken on St. 
James's day, the first of them leads to no certain result, 
as we have no sure means of ascertaining the depth of the 
boat, or rather the relative depth of the man's position, as 
he lay across the boat, in reference to the height of the 
side of the same, so as to enable us to deduce the angle 
formed by the upper edge of the boat's side and the man's 
face, which is the angle measuring the sun's altitude at 
noon on St. James's day, or the 25th of July. If we as- 
sume, as we may do Avith probability, that it was some- 
what less than 33°, and yet very near that measure, the 
place must have been situate near north latitude 75°. 
There seems no probability that it was a larger angle, and 
consequently that tbe place lay more to the southward. 
The result obtained from the other observation is however 
more satisfactory. In the thirteenth century, on the 25tli 
of July, 

the Sun's declination was +17° 54/^ 
Inclination of the Ecliptic 23° 32^ 
If we now assume that the colony, and particularly the 
episcopal seat of Garbar, was situate on the north side of 
Igaliko Firth, where the ruins of a large church and of 
many other buildings indicate the site of a principal 
settlement of the ancient colony, consequently, in 60° 55^ 
north lat., then, at the summer solstice, the height of the 
sun there, when in the north-west, was = 3° 40^, equiva- 
lent to the midnight altitude of the sun on St. James's day 
in the parallel of 75° 46', which falls a little to the [north 
of Barrow's Strait, being in the latitude of Wellington's 
Channel, or close to the northward of the same. The 
voyage of discovery undertaken by the Greenland clergy- 
men was therefore carried to regions, which, in our days, 
have been more accvuately explored, and their geographi- 
cal position determined by Sir William Parry, Sir John 



30 DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 

Ross and Capt. James Clark Ross, and other British navi- 
gators, in the no less daring and dangerous expeditions 
conducted by them. 



NEWFOUNDLAND RE-DISCOVERED FROM 
ICELAND. 

The discovery next recorded was made by the Iceland 
clergymen Adalbrand and Thorwald Helgason, well 
known in the history of Iceland as having been involved 
in the disputes at that time prevailing between the Nor- 
wegian king, Eric Priesthater, and the clergy, and which 
in Iceland were chiefly headed by the governor, Rafa 
Oddson, and Arne Thorlakson, bishop of Skalholt. Ac- 
counts drawn up by contemporaries contain merely the 
brief notice, that in the year 1285 the above-mentioned 
clergymen discovered a new land to the westward of Ice- 
land, (fundu nyja land.) This land, to which by command 
of King Eric Priesthater a voyage was some years after- 
wards projected by Landa-Rolf, is supposed to have been 
Newfoundland, 



A VOYAGE TO MARKLAND IN THE 
YEAR 1347. 

The last piece of information respecting America, which 
our ancient manuscripts have preserved, refers to a voyage 
in the year 1347, from Greenland to MARK-LAND, per- 
formed in a vessel having a crew of seventeen men, being 
probably undertaken for the purpose of bringing home 



IN THE TENTH CENTURY. 31 

building-timber and other supplies from that country. 
On the voyage homeward from Markland, the ship was 
driven out of her course by storms, and arrived with loss of 
anchors at Straumfiord, in the west of Iceland. From the 
accounts — scanty as they are, of this voyage, written by a 
contemporary nine years after the event, it would appear, 
that the intercourse between Greenland and America 
proper had been kept up to so late a date as the year 
above mentioned ; for it is expressly said that the ship 
went to Markland, which is thus named as a country that 
in those days was still known and visited. 



After having perused the authentic documents them- 
selves, which are now accessible to all, every one will 
acknowledge the truth of the historical fact, that during 
the tenth and eleventh centuries, the ancient Northmen 
discovered and visited a great extent of the eastern coasts 
of North America ; and will besides be led to the convic- 
tion, that during the centuries immediately following, the 
intercourse never was entirely discontinued. The main fact 
is certain and indisputable. On the other hand, there are 
in these as in all other ancient writings, certain portions 
of the narrative which are obscure, and which subsequent 
disquisitions and new interpretations may serve to clear 
up. On this account it seems of importance that the 
original sources of information should be published in the 
ancient language, so that every one may have it in his 
power to consult them, and to form his own judgment as 
to the accuracy of the interpretations given. 

With regard to such traces of the residence and settle- 
ment of the ancient Northmen as, it is presumed, are still 
to be met with in Massachusetts and Rhode Island (the 
countries which formed the destination of their earliest 
American expeditions,) we shall content ourselves for the 



/ 

3^ DISCOVERY OF AMERICA. 

present with referring to the hints, which are contained in 
the " Antiquitates American^e." This matter will con- 
tinue to form a subject for the accurate investigation of 
the Committee of the Royal Society of Northern Anti- 
quaries ON THE Ante-Columbian History of America; 
and the result of this investigation, together with such 
additional elucidations of the ancient manuscripts as we 
may have it in our power to furnish, shall be communi- 
cated in the Annals and Memoirs of the Society. 







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